Witch Hunt
by xAlmasyx
Summary: Seifer has been given a second chance. Estharian authorities have decided that he has twelve months to become SeeD or he will be executed for crimes against humanity. It was Cid's idea to take him back, does Seifer have what it takes to become the SeeD he has always wanted to be? Meanwhile, The Witch Hunt has begun again. SeiferxOC Rated M for subject matter later on.
1. Prologue

A/N: Greetings readers. This is the first fanfic I have written in about 8 years, so I will appreciate any review/crit I can get to make this story as good as I want it to be! I hope you enjoy reading!

* * *

The young girl eagerly waited in silence as she watched her mother at the counter by the window, her waist length platinum blonde hair almost sparkling in the sunlight. She was making Dios' favourite breakfast.

It was Pancake Day.

The bowls of strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and Galbadian famous Deling Honey scattered around the breakfast table, waiting for works of art to be created with them. Dios pondered, curling her platinum blonde hair around her finger, what shapes she would make today – a smiley face, maybe a heart, or even a fish that daddy catches at work. With all these exciting thoughts she failed to notice that her stack had been placed right in front of her until she caught the scent of her mother's 'super secret' ingredient, cinnamon.

Her mother removed her chocolate brown apron and placed it on the hook by the door behind Dios, her beaming blue-grey eyes watching her mother's every move as she moved around the table, straightened her white sundress, who coincidentally, mirrored her daughter's outfit of choice completely, and sat across from her. She smiled a warm smile to her eager daughter and motioned to Dios' pancake stacks and her own,  
"Well dear, what shall we create today?"

Dios had decided on smiley faces with crushed strawberry hair, blackberry eyes and a blueberry nose and mouth. Her mother on the other hand, doused her stack on honey, calling it a beehive. They then swapped plates to admire each other's work, almost acting as though they were art critics,  
"Hmm." Her mother placed a hand to her chin, stroking it in mock deep thought, "And what do we call this masterpiece dear Dios?"

"Daddy in Berries!"  
"Oh! Daddy in Berries! Marvelous, I can see a perfect resemblance of his hair. His mouth is looking a bit _blue_ though. Is he cold, did he get into mummy's lipstick?" Dios giggled at her mother's attempts of being funny, poking her tongue out before responding,

"At least I didn't be a lazy butt and pour honey all over to call it a beehive!" They both laughed together, swapping back their plates and gleefully continuing their most loved Pancake Day.

* * *

The village was plagued by screams.

Earlier Dios' father had returned from work at the Dollet docks, his bright red hair almost mirroring the red in the sunset, now the same colour of the fire that was tearing through the small village of Roshfall. He came rushing through the front door; green eyes plastered in shock, denim overalls in tatters.

"It's the Witch Hunt Lorraine! Oh Hyne, it's the witch hunt!" His lip was quivering, knees shaking as his wife ran up to him, concerned, equally as terrified, "We need to fight them, protect our home."

They turned to the frightened Dios in unison. They need to protect their only child; smart, beautiful and splitting image of her mother from head to toe. They turned back to each other and nodded before approaching and kneeling down to their daughter. Her father spoke, "We need you to hide Dios, take Sylvia," He gestured to her mother's prized Adamantine gilded rapier, "And go to the kitchen, hide in the cupboard, don't make a noise and do NOT come out! Do you understand?" He placed his shaking hands on her shoulders, his green eyes staring into her blue-greys. She nodded, more tears threatening to fall as she pulled away, grabbing Sylvia on her way through to the kitchen, throwing open the cupboard door and crawling in, closing the door tightly behind her.

She could hear the gunfire and screams, and smelt the smoke that was enveloping the village. She held Sylvia tighter, determined not to let go all the while feeling the fear crawling up from the pit of her stomach to the bottom of her throat.  
Screaming, crying, the sound of the outer buildings burning to the ground, she couldn't stand it, she wanted to run but all she could do was silently sob in the cupboard, hiding, making sure the bad people would not find her.

She heard a door slam open and her mother's scream.

Two sets of footsteps coming closer.

A gunshot and a ricochet.

"SORCERESS!" A man's voice boomed.

Someone fell to the floor; she heard labored breaths close to the cupboard she was hiding in. She held her free hand to her mouth, biting down on her fingers so she wouldn't scream.

"Your Sorceress Supporters are dead! Now it's your turn."

Another gunshot and a scream, Dios could taste copper on her tongue as she broke skin. She braved opening the door just a crack to see a man standing over her fallen mother, gun in hand. A rugged unshaven face, shaved head, black eyepatch on his left eye, the other eye a deep green, smirking down to her mother lying face down, lifeless on the floor. The hot tears clouded her vision as he turned and walked away with a limp, a brace on his left knee,  
"Burn the whole goddamn village down! Spare none of them Sorceress Supporters!"

He was gone as quick as he came, Dios cried, her mother killed right in front of her and her father nowhere to be found, likely killed whilst protecting the house.

"Dios don't cry." She heard the labored breaths as her mother miraculously was still alive. Dios slammed open the cupboard door, rushing to her mother's side, not one letting go of Sylvia.

"Mummy!" She wailed, the sounds of the gunfire in the distance drowned out her cries,

"Listen to me my child," She heaved, the blood pooling beneath her staining her once pure white sundress, the crimson now seeping into Dios' at her knees, unable to get her daughter to control her sobbing, "You will live. You will live your life, become a strong, beautiful woman."

"Mummy no!" Her mother coughed, struggling to turn to her back and lifted her left arm into the air, a bright light enveloping the room. The last thing Dios heard before succumbing to darkness were her mother's final words:

"I'm sorry."

* * *

The three SeeD operatives could not believe what they were seeing. Amongst the destruction of the burnt down buildings and the charred bodies, there was one small house in immaculate condition, untouched by the flames that had taken away the rest of the village of Roshfall. Weapons at the ready, two swords and a gun, they slowly made their way to the suspicious house, checking for any sign of life along the way. They got within a few meters of the house and were stopped by a barrier.

"This is extremely bizarre. It's too strong to be para-magic." The only woman of the three observed, brushing aside her curly black hair, her grey eyes shone with inquisitiveness, "A Sorceress? A Guardian Force?" The three looked at each other all nervously adjusting their black SeeD uniforms, silently thinking of a plan of attack, just in case they were attacked once they disabled the barrier. The two identical looking men with crew cut brown hair and blue eyes remained silent, it seemed as though the woman was in charge of this operation as she eventually made the decision.  
"I'm going to disable it, keep your weapons at the ready; we don't know what will happen when we approach the house."

A blue hue enveloped her being and she uttered 'dispel' to bring down the barrier. As it disappeared they made their way to the front door which creeped open with the slight breeze. The woman stepped in first, seeing the living room in almost perfect condition though the smell of smoke lingered. She deduced that the barrier had gone up after the fires had started. They didn't get far into the house when they heard a small commotion in the kitchen. Weapons drawn, they quickly moved to the kitchen to see a shocking sight, a woman, dead, dried blood surrounded her what used to be crimson, now a deep brown, her once white dress sharing the same gruesome colour. If they weren't stunned silent in shock they would have missed the muffled crashing of utensils that put them on high alert, the woman motioning for the men to find the source of that sound. They quietly made their way around the kitchen, opening every door on the way, being careful not to step on the body on the floor. The closer they got to the final door the more nerve-wracking it became, they did not know if it were friend or foe awaiting them, exercising extreme care to make sure no openings were given if the offender was to attack.

As they got to the final cupboard door, the one just by the body, the woman shooed the men away, keeping her gun aimed directly at the door. As she opened the door an ear piercing scream filled the room, the small girl caked in dry blood, hiding in there and struggling to draw the rapier she had in her hands; she was panicking at the fact that she was found. The woman instantly dropped her gun, reaching in to grab the protesting child. "Child, shh, it's okay. We are here to help you." The girl wriggled in her grasp, trying to break free, sobbing loudly for her mother, "Calm down sweetheart, we are not hear to hurt you."

"I want my mummy! Get away from me, mummy help me! Daddy! DADDY! Where are you?!" She would not stop yelling, the tears would not stop. The woman felt a large lump in her throat as she put two and two together, the deceased on the floor was this girl's mother and she was refusing to acknowledge that she was no longer alive.

"Child, please calm down. Your mummy and daddy are not here anymore. I'm sorry." She stopped struggling, allowing the woman to pull her out of the cupboard, taking special care to shield her eyes from the sight on the floor. She held the little girl tight as she sobbed; the two men shifted uneasily at the fact the girl had yet to loosen her grip on the rapier's hilt. "Child, what is your name?" She asked,

"D-Dios." The girl choked out, burying her head into the woman's chest, she was finally starting to calm down.

"We are SeeD little Dios, here to help you. Would you like to come with us?" Dios nodded, which prompted the woman to begin leaving the kitchen, slowing calming down child in her arms. "You'll need to tell me where your room is so we can get your things. Can't go with you looking like that!" She turned to the men who were glancing down to the body of Dios' mother, silently motioning for them to take care of her, they both nodded, taking special care to organize a proper burial for the deceased.

Dios got changed into a blue sundress, but not before the SeeD woman took a few wet wipes to clean her away of the dried blood and brushed her knotted platinum blonde hair. They collected a few extra things, including a family photo and Dios' birth records that were kept in a draw beside her parent's bed. When they had finished packing the two men had come back, hands and knees covered in dirt. It was time to go.

Dios had fallen asleep in the woman's arms the moment they got to the car that would lead them to her new home. Garden.


	2. End of Trial

There was an intense silence, as court proceedings came to a halt. Dr. Odine's sudden revelation caused all in the courtroom, especially the accused to reel back in shock,  
"Perhaps," He began, playing with his red, oversized collar, "We are looking at zis all wrong. It seems to me, after all ze sessions and testing I had with ze accused, he cannot remember all zat happened. His current mannerisms suggest zat he also succumbed to ze influence of zis Ultimecia. His lingering nightmares and terrors prove zat!"

The city of Esthar, no, the world had demanded the trial, wanting justice for the worldwide destruction that was caused, all these crimes against humanity. But now, for those sitting in the court room, and those watching the live feed, at least, saw the fiend sitting in the defendant's seat no more than a pawn, a plaything that the Sorceress used and discarded without care.

It felt like an eternity before the prosecution continued, as if even she had to think of how to respond to Dr. Odine,  
"Influence – or if you wanted to be exact, possession?" she asked, with bated breath she awaited Dr Odine's response, she slightly shuffled in her navy pantsuit, her long black hair slightly covering her unsure eyes,

"Of course, but with one small difference," Dr. Odine gazed around the room with his beady eyes, ensuring the room was paying full attention before he continued, "When a Sorceress is possesses a Sorceress, she is completely controlled. When a Sorceress 'influences' a normal human like Mr Almasy over there, his mind goes kaput! But memories and mannerisms stay ze same. She tells him what to do and he has no choice but to obey, his body going full auto pilot! An interesting insight into ze world of magic!" He was quite pleased with his results it would seem, he beamed disregarding the unsettled reaction of the people in the courtroom. The tension seemed higher than ever before, the blonde in the defendant's seat swore he could feel all gazes on him, but he dared not to turn around. He did not wish to see the eyes of his former comrades, his Matron and his former headmaster, though if he did he would see that they were far from disappointed. They showed complete concern for his well being.

"No more questions your honour," He watched as the prosecutor sat down, placing her head in her hands, completely overwhelmed by the situation. He did it, but he didn't do it. He was the commanding officer of the Galbadian Army, but he wasn't. One thing was for sure; even the Judge was struggling to comprehend the situation.

Dr. Odine stood, flashing a sympathetic glance over to the troubled teen, he knew it was feigned; he just wanted Seifer not to be executed so he could continue his testing on him. But it was now up to the judge to make the decision; the choice was made not to have a jury as Laguna felt that they would all just unanimously vote for his execution before any evidence was presented.

The Judge was surprisingly young for his chosen profession, but nonetheless was boasted to be the best Esthar had to offer. His slightly tinted spectacles hid the true colour of his eyes as did the white tightly curled wig had done with his hair.

"I just—" He paused momentarily, even a man of his caliber was feeling so unsure, "I cannot make a concrete decision based on Dr. Odine's statement. I cannot even make a decision based on anyone's testimony." He looked back down, skimming over the trial's notes, all testimonies were stricken with doubt on whether or not Seifer was fully aware of what he was doing, all pointing towards the fact that he completely changed the moment he came in contact with the Sorceress.

A middle aged man sitting in the front row stood, his red buttoned vest calling attention to his small stature, his calming aura assured all in the room that he held no ill intent.  
"If I may your honour, I may have a suggestion as to how you could make your decision." The judge looked intrigued, raising his eyebrows, motioning for the man to continue, "As all in the courtroom should know by now, my name is Cid Kramer and I am the headmaster of Balamb Garden. I have known Seifer ever since he was a small child, full of vigor and dreams, my beautiful wife Edea raised him like he was her own son, exactly like the others that are seated with us today. The boy is rash, stubborn and hot headed, but also very strong and passionate. Yet to this day, due to his impatience he has yet to become SeeD. I propose this to you Your Honour, that if I cannot make this man a respectable mercenary by whatever time frame you see fit, he will be at the full mercy of whatever sentence you decide." The audience erupted into an increasing murmur, skeptical if such a plan would work, Seifer had failed many times before, but could he change? The only ones in the room that remained silent were the eight residents of Garden, their attention purely focused on the shocked form of Seifer, who was understandably trembling in his seat. Never have they seen him so confused, so terrified.

The unrest was silenced by several bangs of a wooden hammer and the Judge's throat clearing, "I can only assume on the basis that I agree to this offer, that strict guidelines will be put in place and severe punishment will be dealt if any of these rules are broken?"

Cid's answer was direct, causing Seifer to jump in his seat, "Of course. IF and only if he breaks any of the rules to be drafted, he will receive such a punishment, which if Your Honour pleases, can decide on youself. After all, we are dealing with a potential war criminal, we cannot have him deviate from his objective."

The judge was silent, taking in all the information that was relayed to him. All that was needed was a deadline for such a deed, he thought. He ponded for a few moments before responding,  
Very well," He shifted his spectacles slightly, a hard glance pointed in Seifer's direction, who audibly gulped when he caught the Judge's gaze, "I therefore release Mr Seifer Almasy, the defendant to the care or Mr Cid Kramer and Balamb Garden." He paused for a moment to ensure that the courtroom remained silent as he made his interim ruling, "He has twelve months to complete his training and become a SeeD mercenary. If he is to disregard any rules set by Garden, a week will be taken away from his time remaining. Also, if he fails this task I will have no choice but to believe that he was fully aware of his actions and he will be found guilty for war crimes and crimes against humanity. The sentence will be execution by firing squad. Have I made myself perfectly clear, Mr Almasy?"

Seifer paled as all attention was on him once again, all the sweating he had done made him feel like he was swimming in his own suit. Garden – the very place he tried to destroy while with Ultimecia was throwing him a lifeline, the very same Garden where most of his childhood memories that weren't tainted by Guardian Forces were. Garden, or at least Cid, believed in him, he wanted him back, he wanted to feel relief, but the feeling of uncertainty washed all over him. He stood on shaky legs, the courtroom was awaiting his response but it was trapped at the bottom of his throat. So many thoughts were rushing through his head, could he do this? Would he be able to live a normal life after? What about the nightmares that plagued him? He felt weak, a word he thought he'd never have to associate with himself. But he had no choice; it was either this or be executed. Could he really make things right? He looked up to the Judge, mustering all the courage he could to respond,

"Yes, Your Honour."


	3. Rememberance

There was an unrest amongst the students of Balamb Garden. A split second decision (in some of their opinions) by Headmaster Cid meant Seifer Almasy was getting a second chance. Xu almost wore Dios' afternoon coffee after the announcement was made.

"He's coming back?" Dios gazed up to the newly installed television in the Garden's cafeteria. Ever since the communication tower in Dollet was repaired, the previously silent news channels were brimming with life, almost every one showcasing Seifer's court proceedings.

"Ladies and gentlemen watching at home, the former Sorceress' Knight Seifer Almasy has been given one chance to prove his innocence by being realeased under the care of Balamb Garden to become a SeeD, the very people who defeated Sorceress Ultimecia just over a year ago! Will he succeed within the twelve month time frame he has been given? Only time will tell. I'm Aya Greaves and on behalf of the Galbadian News Network, Good-Day!"

Hushed whispers filled the cafeteria, all speculating on how long he will last, whose classes he would be in, but most of all; could he be trusted? The now eighteen year old gazed back over to Xu who was playing with her coffee cup, brow furrowed. She never really liked Seifer, Dios noted, always failing his SeeD exams whilst in her presence. The twenty year old finished playing with her coffee cup and looked back at Dios with her chocolate brown eyes,

"What are you going to do, Dios? Certainly you can't be thinking about still being friends with him regardless of what he's done?"

"Xu… You watched the whole trial with me. Squall, Selphie, Irvine, Quistis, Rinoa, even Zell, the one who he pissed off the most testified to Seifer not being Seifer. We just watched a doctor who has dedicated his whole life to Sorceress studies compare what happened to him to a possession. What _am_ I supposed to think?" She felt slightly annoyed at Xu, but truth be told, even Dios was unsure on what she would do when her best friend finally returned. The last time she saw him in person was when he was still Rinoa's boyfriend; assisting the Timber Owls in getting SeeD dispatched for their cause, the catalyst to the horror that was Sorceress Ultimecia and her path of relentless destruction.

"He will forever leave a bitter taste in my mouth Dios." Xu responded, "He is impatient, intolerant of orders and simply doesn't care for anyone but himself and his own personal glory!" Dios frowned, unimpressed with Xu's response. Growing up, Seifer was most definitely caring, especially to his Posse: Raijin and Fujin, and herself, of course. Xu never understood as she only ever saw him during exam time, more specifically, the SeeD exams. "Look, I already know you're disagreeing with me, I can see it written all over your face. But I just want you to be careful; you don't know what he's like now." And with that, Xu got up and left, not wanting to continue the conversation, leaving her cup half empty, her pink lipstick tinting the rims.

Dios sighed, lifting a hand to lightly caress the thick scar on the right side of her neck, the memory of a past failure. She usually has it covered by a high collared, long sleeved shirt, but she had a shift with Dr Kadowaki today and working in such a shirt with a doctor's coat on can sometimes get extremely hot, so she opted for a plain black t-shirt with her black denim shorts and ankle high boots. She let out another sigh, finished her coffee and left the cafeteria, making her way to the Infirmary.

* * *

Dr Kadowaki was waiting eagerly for Dios to arrive, the older woman waving her over to her desk as she entered.  
"Sit, sit!" Dios did as she was told, sitting across from her. On days like today when the infirmary was deserted, it was a good excuse for the two to just chat the time away. She had already assumed what today's topic would be, beating the dark haired, larger woman to the punch,

"Seifer is coming back as you undoubtedly heard," She started. Dr Kadowaki replied by crossing her arms and nodding in agreement, "I can already see a lot of the students aren't too happy about it, especially Xu."

"What about you? How do you feel about it?" Dr Kadowaki raised her eyebrows, watching Dios put a finger to her chin to think.

"I-I don't know. On one hand I am happy to see him again, but on the other hand, I watched him do some terrible things. I just…" She paused for a moment. Dios was more than excited to see her best friend again, but negative thoughts also plagued her mind and she didn't realise she had started to ramble "What will I say when I see him? What if this whole experience has changed him so much that he doesn't even want to know me anymore? He looked so scared on the TV, what if he has already given up without trying? What if he's sick? What if he fails? What if-" Dr Kadowaki cut her off before she could say any more,

"I think, Dios. You have to think about what he is feeling right now. He could quite possibly have nothing but enemies as he returns to Garden. Does he really need his only friend here on that list?" Dios' mind was still racing, even though what Dr Kadowaki said made perfect sense, she couldn't help but have her doubts. Was he still the Seifer Almasy she grew up with, the Seifer Almasy who was a wiseass but got the job done regardless of the consequences? Dr Kadowaki could still see her concern, "Even if he has changed, he is going to need emotional support, you at least owe him that much." She motioned her hand over to Dios' scarred neck, causing her to cover it with her hand."

"I know." Dios mumbled, still grasping her neck, "If it weren't me hanging there…" She trailed off, remembering her failed mission and, as a consequence, another SeeD Exam Seifer had failed.

* * *

The mission was going well, the sixteen year old Dios thought. All the Galbadian official wanted was proof that her husband was cheating, or so she thought. The client had failed to mention that he was also a gang leader, dealing in narcotics and prostitution. Unbeknownst to Dios, whilst she was trailing her target, she was also being followed.

The next thing she knew she was bound by her hands, hanging from a dark warehouse ceiling, a light illuminating her, she was stripped down to her underwear. The boss was right in front of her face, staring at her with a cold glare.

"Now I wonder who sent a pretty little girl like you to spy on me?" His breath reeked of alcohol, other than that his personage was flawless; slicked back, greying brown hair, beady dark brown eyes, freshly shaven and a perfectly tailored suit accentuating the fact that he was slightly obese. He paced around Dios a little, allowing her to see a few of his henchmen in the background, three in total, all wearing similar tailored suits to their boss; beside them a table of numerous bludgeoning weapons and a kitchen knife. If she didn't give them the information they wanted, they were going to beat her until she spoke. The boss stopped in front of her face, greeting her with the smell of alcohol once again, "Now young lady, if you don't want my boys to have a little fun with you, you will tell me who hired you and who you work for." She shuddered as he put a hand to her cheek, caressing it softly. There was no way in hell she was going to compromise her mission.

" _No._ " Her answer was met with a sharp punch to her diaphragm, completely winding her. As she tried to regain her breath she was punched again and it left her gasping.

"I won't ask again. Tell me now." She responded with a glare as she kept trying to suck in air, her vision going fuzzy. Dios knew the boss wasn't impressed in the slightest. "Boys. Beat her till she's black and blue, make the stubborn bitch talk." The men answered with laughter as the boss whisked past her, hearing the door behind her slam shut, then she heard the clinking of a heavy chain as it was lifted from the table, yet her determination would not falter, they were not going to get her to talk.

It must have been days, it felt like forever. The warehouse continuously flooded with her screams as they took turns beating her, either with their fists or one of the contraptions on the table. Occasionally they would stop to mutter amongst themselves in confusion, something about 'bruises' and 'fading too quickly' but she didn't understand. She had no Guardian Force equipped to cast any cure para-magic so there was no way they were talking about her. She heard the door behind her open as the three were preparing their next round of torture. There must have been a change of plan as one of them rushed for the knife on the table and brought it up to Dios' neck, piercing the skin. He twisted the blade, making the gash deeper and larger, then he just left her there, running with the other two past her and out the door she heard slam shut. She was bleeding out; there was nothing she could do but watch as the thick crimson blood flowed down the right side of her body, down her leg and eventually pooling underneath her bound feet.

 _This is the end._ Dios thought, her vision getting darker as she began to lose consciousness. She thought she could hear gunfire and clashing of blades in the next room, and then her hearing went, replaced by a high pitched ringing. Dios barely noticed that the rope bounding her hands was cut and she was now being cradled in someone's arms. She glanced up, seeing a blurred vision of golden blonde hair, pale skin and grey trying to tell her something but she couldn't fight the darkness any longer, letting it overcome her.

* * *

"He completely lost it and killed them all. He was already ordered to leave the boss alive but he thought that scum was better off dead anyway." Dios smiled a little, "Turns out he was screwing the prostitutes, so at least the guy's wife wasn't wrong about him cheating." Her hands were fumbling in her lap, the anxiety raising as she remembered those moments she'd rather forget. She heard Dr Kadowaki sigh; they both hated talking about the incident as sometimes the anxiety would get so bad that she would completely refuse to leave the Garden, the safety of her own home, just to avoid the crippling attacks that would render her immobile.

"He failed the exam for losing his cool. He didn't care for his orders as they left his best friend to die. You know as well as I do that he refused to leave your side until you woke up. To this day I am still amazed that you pulled through with only that scar on your neck." It was mutually decided, Seifer needed that support system like she did, but Dios still didn't know what she was going to say when she finally sees him again.

There was not much else to do in the Infirmary, students would trickle in and out every so often to get some 'personal' advice from Dr Kadowaki and Dios put a kiss and a band-aid on a skinned knee of one of the younger children who slipped and fell whilst playing tag with their friends in the Quad. After Dios and Dr Kadowaki shared a light dinner it was time for her to retire to her dorm room.

When she opened the door she was welcomed with the residual scent of her strawberry perfume that she applied that morning. Turning on the light she glanced at the two photo frames sitting on top of her Timber Oak bedside table, one of the pictures was of her beaming parents holding an infant version of her, standing in front of a house she didn't recognize. The other was at her SeeD graduation, with her, Seifer, Raijin and Fujin, all looking considerably younger. But like now, she was the shortest of the four, so in that instance her torso was being held up by Seifer and her legs being held up by Raijin. Fujin was standing in the middle with her arms crossed with a silk silver dress on, the boys wore suits and Dios was in her brand new SeeD uniform, one hand holding onto Seifer's forearm for dear life and the other hand sporting a thumbs up, her face looking equally as positive.

It seemed like such a long time ago that she passed her SeeD exam, but in reality it had only been three years. Things seemed so much easier back then, watching the Disciplinary Committee do their job and occasionally assisting them in the incredibly sneaky jobs that required someone very tiny and very quiet to eavesdrop.

Dios sighed, shrugging off her coat as she made her way to her bed, the fluffy pillows looking all the more inviting the closer she got to them. She pulled out her bed clothes from the bedside table, changing into the white nightie and discarding her clothes on the floor beside her. Feeling lucky that she had another light switch handy next to her bed, she turned off the lights, crawling into bed. Still thinking about Seifer coming back, she drifted into a restless sleep.


	4. Apparition

Blackness enveloped him and he could feel her golden eyes gaze into his very soul. She was no longer alive but he could still see her right in front of him, a regal beauty, with beautiful long silver hair shaped into horns, whatever skin her red velvet robe didn't conceal was covered in intricate tattoos. Her wicked smile penetrated his confidence. No matter what Seifer did to try and get rid of her, her influence lingered, begging him to join her in eternal darkness. He blinked, hard; and the apparition was gone, the hum of the Ragnarok's engine greeting his ears and the light invigorating his senses, easing his anxiety. The bulk of the ride was enjoyed in silence, most of the crew exhausted from the court proceedings in Esthar, all choosing not to talk about it until they got back to Garden.

Seifer sat beside Edea who would every so often attempt to console him, as if she knew all about the inner turmoil he was feeling in his heart, but he could not bear to look her in the face, the elegant woman's eyes shared the same colour as _her_ and he couldn't stand it.

"My child," She spoke softly, motherly, like the Matron he remembered from his days at the orphanage. "It is not easy to break away knowing her power still lingers." She paused for a moment, gently placing a hand on his knee which in turn caused him to turn his head away slightly, avoiding her worried stare, "Cid gave you this chance because he knows who you really are, the man that you can be. Please remember that."

"Remember that when you throw another woman in front of a Sorceress with an insane lust for power, won't you?" Rinoa interjected from the other side of the cockpit; Seifer barely remembered what happened when he took her to be absorbed by Sorceress Adel, but he vividly remembers the girl's agonizing screams as she was forced into Adel's body. Because, coincidentally it was that very moment Ultimecia broke her hold on him, leaving the confused knight to burn that scene into his eternal memory.

Seifer glared at the teen who was giving him an equally as dirty stare, refusing to back down. The young Sorceress has yet to forgive him for something that was completely out of his control. No matter how many times he tried to apologise to Rinoa, she just wouldn't accept it, playing it off as a pitiful attempt to get her back. As far as he was concerned, Squall could have her, he didn't feel that way about her any more. He was about to respond when another member of the party had spoken up first.

"Rinoa, come on. You know as well as we do that Seifer was completely out of it when that happened, yeah?" Zell spoke, attempting to diffuse the situation. That completely surprised Seifer, the chicken-wuss was actually standing up for him against one of his own friends.

"That's what he 'tells' us Zell. We don't know when Ultimecia ditched his sorry butt and left him for dead, maybe he did it because I decided Squall was to be my knight instead of him." Seifer's anger was reaching boiling point. He had no time to put up with her self indulgent bullshit, but here he was again, listening to her rattle off her delusions being created purely by her overactive imagination. He could see from the corner of his eye that Squall was suffering his embarrassment in silence, pinching the bridge of his nose. She was acting like a brat, humiliating those around her that she called friends.

"I have tried to apologise to you time and again for what _she_ made me do to you, but you completely refuse to listen!" He growled through gritted teeth. He felt a reassuring squeeze on his knee from Edea, taking a deep breath he closed his eyes to try and calm down. As he slowly opened his eyes to look at Rinoa, _she_ was there again, this time smiling at him warmly from behind the oblivious girl, the apparition was feigning caressing Rinoa's cheek and fiddling with her necklace, whispering sweet nothing in her ear that no one would ever hear.

"N-no." He murmured, all around him could see the fear suddenly appear in his eyes, the once tense atmosphere turning thick with gloom as he buried his head between his legs to escape _her_ gaze, he couldn't let her win, but there was not much else he could do. He was even too frightened to speak that wicked woman's name, he feared if he acknowledged her existence she would come back for him, knowing full well that it would never happen. She was gone, Squall killed her.

"I think that's quite enough for now Rinoa, please avoid causing Seifer any more stress than he really needs at this moment." Edea said sternly and Rinoa instantly backed off with a loud 'humph'. Edea returned to comforting Seifer who was shaking with anxiety, the others with looks of concern adorning their features (except Rinoa who stayed with a sour look, arms crossed). Cid let out a deep sigh, drawing the attention of his SeeDs.

"It's fine if you don't trust the boy right now. The wounds are still quite fresh." He walked past each and every one of his mercenaries; Squall, Selphie, Zell, Quistis, his non SeeD sharpshooter Irvine and finally stopped at Rinoa. "But if you do not allow even one inch of forgiveness, then the twelve months may as well end tomorrow!" Rinoa's features finally softened, even though he couldn't see it, Seifer could still feel her gaze on him and it didn't make him feel any better. They were all giving him pity and he hated it, being called a boy, being stood up for. He could very well look after himself, he thought, but in the very back of his mind he knew that wasn't true, he was barely coping. He refused to acknowledge it, everyone would think he was still a child, weak, after everything that had happened he still needed to look strong, if not for himself, then for the young woman that he presumes is waiting for his arrival to Garden, he couldn't have her worry about him as well.  
Seifer frowned at that thought. Was Dios still there? Was she okay? He lifted his head up and looked at Cid who was smiling, adoring his wife. The apparition thankfully gone again.

"Sir?"

"Yes Seifer?"

"I've been wondering." He began quietly, as though if he tried to speak any louder, he would completely crack. "I've been thinking about – is she – is Dios?"

"Oh!" Cid exclaimed, a hint of glee in his eyes, "She is perfectly fine my boy! Working hard for Dr. Kadowaki as per usual. Even studying hard, her SeeD level is already up to level twenty five, such a bright girl, a wonderful asset to Garden and SeeD. I'm sure she will be happy to finally see you again." That reassured him slightly, but he wasn't too sure if Dios would be one hundred percent happy to see him. Whilst he wrote to Raijin and Fujin every so often, he could never find the right words to say to her, no matter how hard he tried, the papers would always end up angrily thrown in the nearest bin. The last time he saw his best friend was at the SeeD ball and they had danced quite stupidly after Rinoa had left with Cid to finalise the mission contract the wanted. The poor girl was a whole foot shorter than him, so doing the traditional waltz just wouldn't cut it; instead they opted to seclude themselves in a bare corner of the ballroom to make twits of themselves, her feet standing on top of his as they awkwardly danced along to the music. They made Raijin and Fujin laugh at them until it was time to bid each other a good night.

Acknowledging Cid's answer with a nod, he turned his head to look out the window. He saw a familiar figure in the distance; Garden, home. The others followed his gaze, the sight welcoming to all inhabitants of the cockpit; they were more than ready to be on land once again.

"Now that we are almost back; I have a few words to say." Cid motioned all to sit, except Selphie who was on the pilot's seat, preparing the landing sequence. He stood beside her so she could hear him clearly as he spoke to everyone else. "It will be about five-thirty AM when we arrive back at Garden. At this time the foyers and entrance should be empty of all students, operatives and faculty which gives us the perfect time to get Seifer up to my office without incident. He will be allowed to rest there whilst we prepare his old room for him. This afternoon I will require a volunteer to take him to the Infirmary with me for his re-admittance physical for safety's sake. Any takers?" Seifer glances around the cockpit to see the SeeDs all look at each other, communicating, their eyes showing that they were silently discussing their plan, all in sync with each other. They had come to an agreement and to Seifer's surprise Squall lifted his hand. "Very good Squall! Since you have offered yourself up, I assume I can entrust you, a fellow Gunblade specialist to take care of Seifer's Hyperion as well?"

"Of course Headmaster." _Wait what?!_

"What?!" Seifer objected. Hyperion was his weapon, his baby. Why the hell was Squall taking it? "I was not told about this! How the hell do you expect me to get anywhere without my Gunblade?!" He was fuming, enraged that she was being taken from him without his permission. He was about to go on a complete tirade about that being a completely stupid idea but Cid stopped him before he could get another word out.

"You will get her back in due time. You must _earn_ the right to use her again. I am confident in your abilities Seifer, surely it won't take you long to regain my confidence in you?" Earn the rights to Hyperion again. Easy, Seifer thought, slowly calming back down but still slightly anxious of the thought of being without his trusted blade. He tried to remember the last time he was without her. Maybe it was when he spent days by Dios' side after the rescue mission, waiting for the severely wounded girl to wake up. Dr. Kadowaki was always adamant that weapons were not to be brought into patient rooms under any circumstance; fights were to stay well away from the infirmary lest she finished it, and she would finish it well.

The cockpit was filled with Selphie's sudden squeals of delight, pointing out it was time to land. Cid took his place on the other side of Edea and buckled himself in, instructing the others to do so as well. As this was Seifer's first time on the Ragnarok he had no idea what to expect from the landing; was it as smooth as the takeoff? Or was it going to be bumpy and uncomfortable? He gripped the armrests in the anticipation of the unknown, relieved when the airship descended smoothly onto the luscious Balamb fields below that surrounded Garden, and then the engines came to a complete stop. It was time to disembark.

The cool, salty draft of the the Balamb sea air was a welcome change to Seifer's senses as he watched the rest of the crew disembark. In true gentlemanly style; Cid assisted his wife down the ramp, taking pride in the time he was finally able to spend with his true love. It was still quite dark out so Garden stood out, illuminated by the ancient Centran technology pulsing in its very core. It suddenly looked bigger to Seifer, intimidating even, almost like an obstacle impossible to pass, but he has to fight it; his life was on the line and everyone knew it. Garden was just one of those demons he had to face head on. He felt a hand on his back, beckoning him towards the entrance; it was the cowboy, Irvine.

"Come on mate, it's now or never." With a new found vigor from the man's friendly gesture, he shrugged Irvine's hand away and flashed him a cocky smirk.

"I got this." He wasn't sure how long this feeling would last, but if it was going to help him walk into Garden without incident, he was going to take full advantage of it.

They walked into the silent Garden, only the sounds of running water echoed through the main entrance as they made their way to the elevator in the middle of the rounded foyer. Seifer swore he heard a different set of footsteps but their own, but no one else had reacted so he thought nothing of it, yet there was a nagging thought at the back of his mind that he was forgetting something important.

The group heard the elevator softly ding as its doors opened and they piled in in an orderly fashion. As they door closed and the elevator began ascending Seifer turned to face the way they came from, spotting a dark figure passing by below. It looked like it stopped to watch the elevator and it suddenly hit him. There was always someone out in the foyer at exactly five-thirty every morning to do their routine laps without fail and he would occasionally join them.

That figure looking up into the rising elevator was Dios, she knows he's back.


	5. Panic and Meeting

Seifer was left to his own devices in Cid's office whilst the others assisted the Headmaster in making arrangements for the new arrival. The peaceful silence was accompanied by the occasional chime of the academy's bells, signaling the beginning and end of each class. He felt oddly at peace being able to actually relax for once, almost forgetting what was at stake for being back at Garden.

However, the amount of time he was spending seated on the couch was starting to get on his nerves, so he decided to stretch his legs, pacing back and forth from Cid's desk to the massive double doors that lead out to the reception. After a couple of laps he started to feel the blood flow come back through his legs, every so often having a stretch to keep his actions from feeling to repetitive.

On his final lap he stopped mid step, heading the sound of chains clinking together behind him, then came a woman's sobs. He spun around to meet an all too familiar scene unfolding in front of him; there was Dios, surrounded by blackness, suspended from the ceiling with the rattling chains, her back to him. He could see the blood slowly flowing down the right side of her body, staining her long platinum blonde hair and ending up pooling on the illuminated floor beneath her.

Seifer felt a huge lump form in his throat as he slowly edged closer to his sobbing friend, his hands began to shake with ingrained terror. He had dreamt of this scene many times before, but this time it felt real once again, too real, feeling his heart rate increase, it almost felt like it was going to explode in his chest. But he swallowed his fear and made his way to her.

The sobbing descended into almost silent whimpers as he reached her, extending an arm to turn her around. Golden eyes and a wicked smile greeted him, _her_ demented gaze starting into his shocked eyes as she began to cackle, never once breaking the contact they shared. He couldn't move, completely frozen in terror as the volume increased, watching the once blonde hair slowly turn deathly white and her skin began to burn away, those telltale tattoos rising from the bubbling flesh, laughter still violating his ears. _She_ was there, mocking his memories, sending him into a blind panic. Seifer could not shake the fear rising up in him, her features fully contorted from the form of Dios to the nightmare that has been haunting him since _she_ left a year ago.

The terrified teen heard the soft click of a door behind him, but he was too scared to see who was there, he was too transfixed on the woman in front of him, laughing at how pathetic he had become. Seifer was suddenly broken out of his trance, jumping when he felt a hand on his shoulder and the scene in front of him faded away, _her_ laughter and golden deranged stare the last to leave. He was turned around and found that the intruder was Cid, showing a look of extreme concern. As Seifer regained slight awareness of his surroundings he noticed that he was breathing quite erratically, his palms feeling extremely clammy under his leather cloves and his chest felt constricted, controlling his breathing was near impossible.

"Alright Seifer, I need you to try and slow your breathing, you're having a panic attack. It's just the two of us here, no need to be scared." Cid said soothingly, leading the teen back to the couch on the other side of the office. "Squall and I came to get you to take you to the Infirmary, but we heard screaming as we came into the reception. No need to be worried, I left Squall out there, we need to settle down your breathing before we get you out there." Seifer barely understood Cid's words, only responding to the names he heard, completely unaware that he was screaming whilst he saw his vision.

He looked into Cid's eyes; he saw the reflection of his own cyan hues in his glasses, his pupils almost completely retracted in panic. Seifer felt Cid put a hand on his heaving chest, kneeling down in front of him, not once breaking eye contact. He still couldn't think straight, the vision of Dios turning into _her_ still very fresh on his mind, refusing to budge and keeping the panic attack in its place longer. He felt heavy, trapped in his own nightmares, helpless.

"Seifer." Cid spoke again, "I know you're in there. I need you to try and slow your breathing. It's the only way we can get you out of this." They seemed only like jumbled words to Seifer, who was close to losing his grip on reality again, feeling the wicked laughter beginning to plague his hearing once more. His blank eyes continued to stare at Cid, who contorted his face into a frown.

"Seifer Almasy! I know you can hear me! How will you be able to face Dios like this?" _Dios?_ Hearing that name caused the laughter ringing in his ears to cease and his eyes darted around the room looking for her, but it was still only Cid in the room with him, still kneeling in front of him, his wrinkling hand still placed on the teen's fluttering chest. Seifer acknowledged he heard him, the silent whisper of his best friend's name escaping his lips. Cid Smiled.

"That's right! You can't really see her with your heart going a million miles an hour, she'd have kittens! Now let's begin this breathing exercise, shall we?" Seifer slowly nodded in response, his fists clenched has he tried to listen to Cid's words of encouragement.

"Breathe in." Cid breathed in deeply, holding his breath after a few seconds and waiting for Seifer to follow suit. He drew in a slow, stuttered breath only for Cid to shake his head.

"Breathe out." Cid exhaled and Seifer followed, noticing his breath was much shorter than the Headmaster's. "A bigger breath this time Seifer. Breathe in." He breathed in again, attempting to take note on how long Cid inhaled before holding his breath. Anything to make it work.

"Breathe out." Another exhale, longer this time. He could feel his heart slowly settle. "That's a lot better, remember Dios is waiting. Again."

After several rounds of the breathing exercises, Seifer completely regained awareness of his surroundings. Visibly satisfied, Cid stood, making his way to the water cooler beside the couch and filled a glass. Sitting down beside the still trembling Seifer, he offered up the glass in which he silently accepted, taking small sips as he stared vacantly forward, ashamed that he let himself get to the point where the Headmaster had to break him out of his stupor. But most of all he felt powerless to stop what was happening to him, the thought of needing help humiliated him even more.

"Would you like to talk about it Seifer?" Cid sounded concerned for him, but now that he was back to his senses, it was not well received.

"No. I'm fine." He spat, glaring at the glass.

"But talking about it will-"

"Don't." Seifer grumbled, cutting Cid off. "I don't need it. Why are you here anyway?" Cid looked at Seifer puzzled.

"I told you as I came in, Squall and I are here to take you to the Infirmary for your physical, remember?" _Squall…_ He thought about it for a moment, he remembered hearing his rival's name, but he must not have heard all of Cid's words during his meltdown. Just how much time went by when the attack began? Seifer responded with a sincere shake of his head causing Cid to sigh as he stood up. "Well, it's time for us to go. I think it would be rude to keep those two lovely ladies down there waiting." With that, Seifer followed suit and stood as well, following the Headmaster to the entrance of the reception.

Squall was waiting in the reception, sitting on the receptionist's chair, staring at the two men; the receptionist herself was nowhere to be seen. _Cid must have given her the day off…_ In an attempt to diffuse the severity of the earlier incident, Seifer scrunched his nose at the SeeD's concerned look.

"What's the matter Squally-boy? Have I got something on my face?" He joked, pointing at his features. Squall stood, ignoring his attempt at humor.

"Are you alright?" He asked the taller blonde, which annoyed him greatly. He felt like this was going to become a common occurrence and that didn't sit right with him at all.

"Of course I'm alright, who do you take me for, Chicken-wuss!?" Seifer quickly made his way to the elevator to avoid the discussion from continuing any further. As the two followed him to the elevator, he hoped that they would take the hint and not talk about what happened any more.

He was relieved when the ride down to the ground floor was enjoyed in silence, Cid and Squall clearly understanding that Seifer was not going to divulge any details about what happened while he was alone in the Headmaster's office. The soft ding of the elevator prompted the trio that it was time to disembark. As they exited they saw that the circular foyer was brimming with SeeD and cadets alike, all discussing their late afternoon plans in their respective groups. But it wasn't long before some noticed the former Sorceress Knight descend the stairs, the excited chattering slowly turning into hushed whispers and awkward stares. Seifer was not going to let them get to him; he was welcomed back into Garden by Cid and Edea and that was his main concern in his opinion.

 _But what about Dios?_ He thought. Would she be exactly like those who were currently scrutinizing him? Already prepared to shun him like they were?

The anxiety swelled inside him the closer they got to the infirmary, but he was determined not to let it get the best of him this time, there was no need for this to dissolve into another panic attack. Seifer had to face this demon and know once and for all whether Dios was still going to be on his side.

Squall and Cid trailed behind him, side-eyeing the curious students with caution as they walked down the hallway leading to the Infirmary, the vision outside the windows showing the sun had already begun to set, yet some younger students chose to take advantage of the good weather, spending their time outside. As they drew closer to the Infirmary doors, they could hear the excited chatter of small children and that made Seifer feel a little more nervous. Were those children now orphans because of him?

He didn't have time to think on it as the automatic doors opened revealing the mostly white, sterile smelling Infirmary. The familiar patient rooms curtained off to his right, but he could hear the chatter behind one of them. Seifer's breath was caught in his throat when he recognized one particular voice over all the others.

"How many times to I have to tell you lot to stop running in the hallways? One day someone is going to break a bone and I will be flogging that kid off to Dr. Kadowaki!" A flurry of children ran through the curtain and hurried past the three, giggling as they left. Dios appeared next from the curtain, she looked like she was about to yell at the escaping kids but stopped, mouth agape at who was standing just a few meters shy of her.

Seifer couldn't speak, he felt like he had lost his voice as he looked into Dios' blue-grey eyes. He studied her features closely, noticing that she had barely changed since they had last met. Her waist length platinum blonde hair was lazily tied into a high ponytail; bangs shaping her pale face, bright red lipstick bringing colour to her porcelain skin. She was habitually covering her scarred neck with a sleeveless black turtleneck top and wore black jean shorts that slightly allowed her toned torso to be seen. Her doctors coat was hung over her shoulder, but it slowly slid to the floor, unnoticed by the girl whose complete attention was on him.

It felt like forever that they were staring at each other. She needed to say something; _he_ needed to say something, anything to kill the silence. He watched as her eyes darted around him, observing him top to bottom, they were both stuck in stunned silence that both of them were unable to break.

Dios made the first move, slowly shuffling towards the elder of the two, not once breaking eye contact with him. To Seifer's surprise he felt her small arms slink underneath his trench coat and wrap themselves around his waist; a small thud was heard as her cheek made contact with his chest. The scent of strawberries overcame his senses, the oh so familiar smell that was always attributed to Dios. He reciprocated the embrace, burying his face in her soft hair in relief; he was not hated by her, she was happy to have him back.

Seifer could feel his vest dampening as sobs escaped Dios' lips, causing him to embrace her harder, wanting the crying to stop.

"This is fine." She said in between sobs, clutching the fabric of his vest. "Having you back is perfectly fine." The sobbing turned into full blown crying, her emotions were so raw that even Seifer choked up for a moment, he had never felt so much relief in his life.

"Shh, it's okay. I'm back." He gingerly rubbed her back, feeling the heaving in her chest lessen. Dios then pulled away still sniffling, her eyes still puffy and red, flowing with tears. She smiled warmly at him amidst all her crying.

"You're home." _Home…_ He acknowledged her smile with one of his own, wiping the tears away from her eyes with his thumb.

"Yeah. I'm home."


	6. You're Home

AN: Hey guys, sorry for the couple week delay. I had a couple of personal issues to deal with which kinda killed my motivation to write, but now I am back to cause a ruckus!  
Please enjoy :)

* * *

The obnoxious buzzing of an alarm pulled Dios out of her slumber, her eyes slowly fluttered open to see the time. Five ten AM, the numbers illuminated, telling her it was time to get ready for her daily run.

Turning off the alarm, she groggily arose from her bed, unable to have a sound sleep for the past several nights was starting to take its toll on her, but missing out on a peaceful morning of exercise was out of the question. Plus, coffee would fix any residual tiredness so Xu and Dr. Kadowaki would not ask too many questions about her state of mind. A goods night sleep had been eluding Dios for one reason and one reason only; Seifer Almasy.

She took off her white night gown and placed it atop her pillow, pacing naked over to her wardrobe to get her running gear; a pair of black and white floral tights and a white crop and tying her hair into a lazy pony tail. Since it was too early for the other residents to be up and about, Dios didn't need to feel too self-conscious about her neck scar. She quickly grabbed a pair of socks and slipped on her white running shoes, now ready for her morning exercise.

As she exited the dormitory she could smell the fresh morning air coming through the hallway windows, helping her slowly shake away her weariness. Coming to the round foyer she stopped at some benches to commence her warm up stretches; placing her left foot up on the seat and leaning forward, touching her toes. As she does this a memory flashes in her mind, of the mornings Seifer would join her in her routine; albeit not very often, he much preferred having extra sleep before his morning combat training than running around the Garden's main foyer to 'warm up' as Dios would tell him. Dios remembered those times he joined her fondly, even though he would always make fun of her, or 'take the piss' as he would say, for doing the stretches prior to running, saying only babies like Chicken-Wuss needed to stretch.

Smiling, Dios continued her stretching exercises before taking off in a light jog around the circular foyer, the sound of its moat peacefully flowing in the background, pleasing her senses. The lone run was always a good opportunity to think about things, whether it was new medical information from Dr. Kadowaki or Dios' own personal issues; a good run was always a good time to ponder on them some more. She had been spending the past few mornings wondering what she was going to say when she finally saw Seifer again, playing both positive and negative scenarios in her head, the most common of them all was him completely ignoring her advances and that possibility scared the hell out of her. She had already decided their friendship was more important than the rumors; plus the trial had proved that he was under a manipulation spell; there was no reason to think he had been a willing antagonist, but it still stuck at the back of her thoughts.

The first lap over, Dios began to quicken her pace, the subject of Seifer's arrival still deep in the crevices of her mind. She was also impeccably worried about her best friend's mental state; from Dr. Odine's testimony it looked like Seifer was suffering major side effects from Ultimecia's control over him. Would he be well enough to continue his studies at Garden? Had he been eating well? Had he been keeping himself hydrated? Had he been sleeping well?

She was broken out of her train of thought by the sounds of footsteps, several different sets echoing throughout the foyer. Her heart sank, gripping her neck as she ran closer to the source of the intrusion; it was too early in the morning to put up with students commenting on her scar. Just as she passed the hallway that lead to the infirmary she heard the ding of the elevator in the middle of the foyer which piqued her curiosity. Normally the only person who would use the elevator this early in the morning is Headmaster Cid heading up to his office to get a head start on his paperwork.

 _That would mean…_

Dios' suspicions were confirmed as she reached the staircase at the past of the elevator and stopped, looking into the illuminated glass and seeing _his_ silhouette, taller than all the others she saw.  
"Seifer." She puffed, watching as his form shuffled slightly before the glass elevator disappeared into the upper levels. Her adrenaline peaked at this moment and her hands began trembling. Seifer was back and she would see him as soon as today, but when? Where?

She fell to her knees, filled with tremors, remembering the feelings of anguish when Fujin and Raijin came back to Garden empty handed instead of a smug Seifer in tow, and they told her that the Galbadian government had sentenced him to death for attacking their president. Dios was completely beside herself, inconsolable as Fujin gently rocked the sobbing mess in front of them. It was a feeling she was glad she never had to experience again when she found out he was still alive, but those feelings were replaced with shock and anger when Squall had told her that he was with the sorceress. All those emotions washed away once the trial began and she saw the truth.

But his homecoming was now a reality, he is home to prove himself to the world and she would help him, if he would let her.

Finally regaining her composure, Dios stood and restarted her run, mind cleared of doubts, focusing on the inevitable; they were going to meet sooner rather than later.

* * *

At breakfast Dios could see that Xu was less than impressed receiving the information that Seifer had arrived earlier that morning, every so often she would glance in the direction of their weary comrades who were battling to stay awake after their lengthy travel. The two decided to leave them be for the time being as they all silently sipped away at their coffees.

"And Cid has locked everyone out from his office today." Xu grumbled, "Have you seen him yet?"

"No I haven't. I still find it quite funny that Headmaster Cid spoke to you first out of all people. Even better was the stern warning about going anywhere near his office." Dios sniggered as she bit into her toast. Just before breakfast Cid had visited Xu in her apartment telling her, quite firmly, not to go to the third floor. Letting her know that even if she tried, her key card would not work; he had disabled all access to personnel apart from himself and the SeeD Commander Squall, and he knew that Xu would attempt to force the young Commander in taking her up there to berate the fallen Knight.

"I would _not_ waste my time with that waste of space." She responded sternly, "And I still can't believe that you still want to be friends with him! What are you thinking?" Dios stopped mid chew and studied Xu's features, frustration was evident by the look in her chocolate eyes and her plump lips were tightly pursed together. She was slightly offended that her elder had the audacity to make such comments in front of her, but that was Xu, extremely outspoken. Dios put down her toast, swallowing hard.

"At the end of the day Xu, he is still my friend. And I would be dead right now if he wasn't in _that_ exam. I know it, you know it, hell, and even Quistis knows it!" She saw Xu's look soften ever so slightly, remembering the SeeD exam that ended up being a rescue mission; Dios continued, "Can you just try and cut him some slack? If the six tired as hell people over there can attest to his innocence, then surely you can try to forgive him as well?" She gestured over to the exhausted forms of Squall, Rinoa, Zell, Selphie, Irvine and Quistis on the other side of the cafeteria, "Our Headmaster and our Commander have let him come back. Trust their judgement."

Xu had no response; she hoped that meant she was finally getting through to her. Seifer needed this chance and the less resistance he had from the residents of Garden the better.

Dios could see that Xu was thinking intently, she was staring down into her quickly cooling coffee. Hoping that was a good sign, she continued eating her meal, awaiting the black haired SeeD's response.

But she would have to wait for that, the two were spotted by a tired looking Cid who made a beeline towards them from the entrance of the cafeteria. Both women hurriedly stood, saluting their Headmaster who greeted them affectionately.

"At ease ladies, I hope that you two have had a lovely morning. Miss Leigh, I would like to have a word with you in private, if I may." Dios was perplexed with his request, was it about Seifer's return?

"Sir, may I ask why?" His jolly expression suddenly turned serious at her query.

"It is about our new arrival. I would much prefer for us to chat in private than-" He paused for a moment, making emphasis on the seriousness of his request by leaning in close to whisper in her ear, "-have any gossips spread any more rumors about our dear Mr. Almasy." She understood completely, nodding as he pulled away. "Very good! Please come see me in my quarters as soon as you have finished your breakfast." He clasped his hands together, smiling at the two women. "Now, Xu behave yourself today." He bid them a farewell before leaving, also waving at the SeeDs that noticed his presence.

When Dios turned to Xu her cheeks were bright pink with embarrassment.

"He didn't have to tell me to behave you know…" She grumbled before sitting back down to enjoy the rest of her meal. Dios Followed suit, "I wonder what he wants to talk to you about."

"I don't know." Dios frowned, taking the final bite of her toast, swallowing hard. "I hope it's nothing bad. I hope Seifer is doing okay."

"If anything, you're probably going to babysit him!" Xu joked, but it made Dios think. Was there something wrong? Sure, the two are very good friends, but wouldn't the public think there is some sort of bias towards him if she was closely involved?

"I suppose I just have to go and find out, hey?" She sculled the rest of her coffee in nervous anticipation. "I better not keep the Headmaster waiting. I'll talk to you later." Bidding a quick farewell to Xu, she hurried out of the Cafeteria to go and meet Cid.

* * *

Dios took in a deep breath as she approached Headmaster Cid's apartment door. It opened just as she raised her hand to knock to reveal the motherly form of his beautiful wife, Edea. It was almost if she knew she was there.

"Welcome Miss Leigh, please come in and have a seat." As she stepped in she noticed that Cid's accommodation was a hundred times homier than the students and SeeD's quarters. The white walls were adorned with hand painted portraits, a beautiful, plush chocolate coloured carpet covered the floor and there was exquisite antique furniture scattered around with the two couches in the middle upholstered with crimson velvet. From what she could see, there were doors that lead off into other rooms, but they were closed.

"Cid will be here momentarily." Dios smiled at Edea, obliging her earlier request to have a seat with a meek 'thank you'. Edea sat across from her, still smiling warmly at the younger woman, the loving vibe she felt from her reminded her of someone, but she couldn't put her finger on who.

The two sat in a peaceful silence for a short while until one of the doors opened, revealing a fresher looking Cid.

"Well, Dios Leigh! You are certainly eager to have a chat, aren't you?" He laughed heartily, sitting next to Edea; Dios could see how much he adored the woman next to him.

"Well sir." She began, "It concerns Seifer. I will be honest with you; him coming back has been pretty much the only thing on my mind since the trial ended." Cid nodded in response, his wire spectacles glistening in the light as he adjusted his clean set of clothing slightly.

"And what have you been thinking about, Dios?" He didn't take his expectant gaze off of her as she shuffled nervously in her seat, thinking about how to phrase the last weeks worth of thoughts. "Well… He needs a friend; he needs me, doesn't he? He's not well."

"Precisely." Answered Edea, "One thing we ask is that you prepare yourself for when you see him as he has lost a lot of weight. He hasn't noticed the physical changes this whole thing has caused, but we have and, personally, it scares us." Dios could see the look of sadness in her golden eyes. From what she understood, Edea raised Seifer in an orphanage off the Centra coast along with Quistis, Selphie, Irvine, Zell and Squall. Which meant Seifer's struggle was hitting her quite hard.

"He has lost a lot of strength, which is why I have put his Hyperion under the care of Squall under the guise of him having to earn it back. Are you happy with being a part of the team I am putting together to assist him? I am sure he will need the support only you could give."

Dios felt immense sadness from their words. She knew that he was suffering, but hearing it first hand made it much harder to deal with than before. She felt herself choking up a little before she could speak again.

"He has been my best friend for as long as I can remember, sir. I would be honoured if you would allow me to be a part of your team." The couple turned to each other smiling momentarily before turning back to Dios so she could speak again, "My only concern is that people may think I am biased towards him. Is that going to be an issue?"

"Of course not!" Cid chuckled, "I would not have asked you if I had felt that way. Like I said, he needs you to be there for him, whether he acknowledges it or not." As long as Cid was fine with it, Dios supposed, she would have no worries about helping him. That thought relived her; she hoped that meant when they met again things would go smoothly.

"Is there anything else sir?"

"That is all for now Miss Leigh, you are dismissed." The three stood and Dios saluted her elders before they escorted her to the door. "By the way Miss Leigh, we will see you later on in the Infirmary." Her eyes widened as her very being filled with sudden anxiety. The thought of meeting him again so soon gave her unwanted surprise as she reached up to nervously grab at her scar. She then felt a soft hand on her back, Edea was right behind her to settle her down.

"Everything will be fine Miss Leigh." She spoke confidently, "You two are best friends after all." Edea was right, there should be nothing to worry about, but the nervous anticipation still lingered.

"Y-you're right Mrs. Kramer. I'm sure I will be fine, thank you." And with that, she bid the two good bye and continued on with her day, quickly stopping by her dorm room to change into a sleeveless black turtleneck and her white long coat.

* * *

It was late afternoon by the time anything eventful happened at the Infirmary, a group of five small children had clambered in with their screeching friend who had fallen quite hard whilst running in the foyer and landed on the steps, smashing their nose on impact to create a fountain of blood. The kid was lucky she didn't break her nose. The others watched as Dios cleaned up the shell shocked child of all evidence of foul play except for a large bandage covering their bruised nose. And as she always does, she kissed the bandage to make the young girl smile. She pulled away, taking her bloodied coat off, throwing it over her shoulder and crossed her arms, scowling at all the children in the room. It was now time for the lecture.

"How many times do I have to tell you lot to stop running in the hallways? One day someone is going to break a bone and I will be flogging that kid off to Dr. Kadowaki!" The uninjured ones giggled, fleeing through the curtain before Dios could say another word, the girl left in the cot shocked that her friends would bail on her. But Dios wouldn't have it; she was going to tell them off good.

As she ripped open the curtain, she expected to see the fleeing children. Opening her mouth to yell, she stopped as she saw three men in the doorway, her heart stopped as she met the gaze of her best friend at the very front, barely a few meters from her.

Her mind went completely blank as her eyes examined every inch of ex-Knight; Cid and Edea weren't lying when they told her how much he had changed, he was a shell of the man he once was. His signature trench coat and vest looked baggy on him and he looked completely exhausted. Her worst fears about him had come true and she had to fight back the sobs threatening to come out.

She didn't know what to say, what to do, not even noticing as her coat fell to the floor with a soft thud. There was no hostility in Seifer's gaze, she could see even he was unsure about what to say, it was the first time in just over a year that they had seen each other with no contact.

It was now or never, she had to somehow tell him that she will be there for him.

With a large gulp to stop the lump forming in her throat, she slowly shuffled towards him without breaking eye contact, and extended her arms out to slide them under his trench coat and embrace him in a tight hug. Dios placed her cheek on his chest, feeling deep sorrow as she realized how skinny he really was with her arms around him. She couldn't help it anymore and let the tears fall as he wrapped his arms around her, burying his head into her hair. She sobbed loudly which caused him to embrace her tighter. Seifer was home, finally home and she was going to help him become his old self again.

"This is fine." She clutched a bunch of the vest fabric, sobbing again into him, "Having you back is perfectly fine." As she finished speaking, the flood gates opened and she couldn't help herself any more as she cried loudly, burying her face completely into his chest.

Dios felt Seifer's hand softly caress her back in attempt to get her to calm down, "Shh, It's okay. I'm back." He whispered to her. She was so relieved that he wanted his best friend to still be by her side. When she was finally able to settle a little she pulled away from him, still slightly sniffling and looking a right mess with the tears still flowing. She smiled at him warmly; it was time to say a proper welcome.

"You're home." She watched him reciprocate with a smile of his own, reaching down to wipe away her tears with his gloved thumb.

"Yeah. I'm home."


End file.
